Counter construction



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed March 15, 1956 INVENTOR HERMAN E. HANSENATTORNEYS April 1961 H. E. HANSEN 2,981,580

COUNTER CONSTRUCTION Original Filed March 15, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /04his ATTORNEYS United rates 1. atent COUNTER 'CONSTRUC'IION Herman E.Hansen, Winterton, N.Y., assignor to Conggileltgm-Nairn, Inc., Kearny,NJ a corporation of New Original application Mar. 15, 1956, Ser. No.571,689,

now Patent No. 2,890,919, dated June 16, 1959. Divided and thisapplication Dec. 8, 1958, Ser. No.

2 Claims. Cl. 311-406 This invention relates to counters and tocomponent parts useful in the construction thereof. This applicationisia division of co-pending application S.N. 571,689 filed March 15,1956 for Counter Construction, now Patent No. 2,890,919, issued June 16,1959.

The demand for counters having surfaces which are durable, attractive,and easily maintained, has resulted in Widely increasing use ofpermanently mounted surfacing sheets formed of such materials ashardened resin compositions, vinyl plastic coated felt base or the like.

In practice the surfacing sheets are adhesively laminated ofleakagewhich can loosen the adhesive bond securing the surfacing sheetand can rot the wooden substructure I of a counter. Also, they tend tocollect dirt at the line of-junction with the surfacing sheet and, inmany applications, form an undesirably conspicuous margin around theentire counter assembly. It has, of course, been recognized that metaledge moulding can be eliminated by utilizing some of the surfacing sheetmaterialto cover the raw edge in what is commonly called a self edge. A

liquid-tight, durable self edge has not, however, been attainableheretofore except by the most costly techniques,

and in site+fabricated units they are. all but unattainable asapractical matter. Y 1

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to. provideimproved counter constructions havingself edges. of pleasingly roundedcontour which are both liquid-tightand durable whileat the same timecapable of simplified fabrication. I i

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved counterconstruction, the sub-structure of which can comprise conventional,easily Worked, wood panels,

and the surfacing of which comprises durable, waterimpervious sheetmaterial uniquely integrated with the; sub-structuretto form acompietedassembly in which; unbroken extensions of the surfacing materialdefinethe edges. a t Another object of the invention is to provide novelsub .structure form pieces for contouring a counter framework" toreceive surface sheeting.

.In accordance with the presentinvention, a series of form pieces fordefininggresfpectively the front iorleading edge. of the 'counter, thecove; between the flattworking.

surface of the countenand the'upright back splash, and. the top edge ofthe back splash, are provided for attach mentto flat panels tobecome,,together withthe; panels,

I part of a counter substructure defining; a smooth, con i tinuoussurface to which a single piece of surfacing sheet material isadhesively attached to integrate the assembly and to provide, ifdesired, a water-impervious, attractive wear surface altogether free ofbreaks, cracks, or externally applied marginal mouldings.

The form piece which defines the front edge of the counter can bearranged for application to the horizontal panel in a simple snap fit,with the design being such that once in position and with the surfacingsheet applied, it defines an enlarged,- gently rounded edge which is notsusceptible of displacement either angularly or in translation. The coveforming piece is designed in accordance with the invention to form ajunction between the horizontal and vertical panels and includessurfaces complementary to both panels. In one embodiment, the coveforming piece comprises not only a sub-structurefor backing up thesurfacing sheet but a bridging link by means of which the vertical backsplash panel is attached to and carried by the horizontal panel. Theform piece for defining the top of the back splash is provided inaccordance with the invention with a rearwardly extending flange bymeans of which the counter assembly can be scribed into the wall in anabutting relationship which eliminates the usual gaps and prevents, itfollows, the ingress of liquid, food particles, or the like, down thewall behind the counter to points forever inaccessible for washing.

Representative embodiments of the invention are described below havingreference to the accompanying drawings in which: 5

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a counter assembly embodying thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a view in vertical section of the counter assembly shown inFigure 1;

Figure 3A is a view in perspective with its left hand end in verticalsection of a short length of a form or contouring piece for mainfabricating the front edge of the counter;

Figure 3B is a view similar to 'Figure 3A showing a modified form pieceforthe front edge of the counter;

Figure 4 is a view similar toFigure 3A showing one design of form piecefor defining the cove of the counter assembly at the intersection of thecounter and the back splash;

FigureSA is a view similar to Figure 3A showing the form piece forcompleting the back splash of the counter and for definiuga Walljunction;

Figure 5B is a view similar to Figure 5A showing av :modified form piecefor completing the, back splash of i the counter surface is providedwithqan uprighta back. 3 splash, in which form it is illustrateclfinthe-accompany, ing-drawings; i i

Referring to Figuresl and 2 counter of tlie present back panel;

,the counter and for defining a wall junction, the form piece beingillustrated asrnounted on'a' fragment of a w Figure 6 is a fragmentaryview in vertical section illustrating an alternative technique forforming the counter construction; and

Figure '7"is a fragmentary view in vertical section 1 showing a modifiedform of, the cove portion of the counter construction which isparticularly useful in the practice of the counter fabricating techniquepartially illustrated by Figure 6.

As will beapparent from the following description, the present inventionis generally applicable to counters such.- as kitchen "counters, bartopsQtable tops, or the like, 'and certain parts-. thereof arfeapplicable to surfaced stair treads, KIt has particularutility; in theconstruction ofsink area and fioor cabinet tops forwkitchens wherein.

- invention; generally indicated by thelnutneralj 10 and shown forpurposes of illustration as formed with a cutout to receive aconventional sink 11, includes a main horizontal panel 12 which can beconstructed of plywood or another suitable sub-structure material.Secured to the forward edge of the panel 12 is a contoured front edgeform piece 14 described more fully below. This form piece, as well asthe other form pieces hereinafter referred to, are preferably made of astrong, rigid material such as metal, and the metal is preferably of theextrudable type such as aluminum having inv its finished form surfaceswhich are slightly dull, e.g., a satin finish capable of establishing astrong adhesive bond to the overlying surfacing sheet material of thefinished counter.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3A, the front edge form piece 14 includes acontinuously curving convex outer wall 15, the central inner portion ofwhich is formed with a pair of ribs 16 and 17 adapted to abut theleading edge of the panel 12 along vertically spaced apart lines. Theupper portion of the wall 15, which overlies the panel 12, is formedwith a slight reverse curvature 18 to define a feather edge 19 at theline of junction with the panel. The underside of the feather edge 19 isformed with a flat 20 adapted to rest on the panel 12 and rearward ofthe flat 20 is a depending rib 21 adapted to rest on the panel 12 closeto its edge. The lower end of the contoured outer wall terminates in anupwardly extending vertical flange 22 inturned at 23 to form an abutmentto engage the underside of the panel 12. As best shown in Figure 2, theform piece 14 surrounds the forward end of the panel 12 so that thefeather edge 19 smoothly merges into the upper surface of the panel 12along a line spaced inwardly from the for ward edge thereof with theflat and rib 21 engaging the upper surface. In addition, the ribs 16 and17 engage the forward edge of the panel and the inturned edge 23 of theflange 22 engages the lower surface of the panel along a marginal linespaced inwardly from the forward edge. Preferably the form piece 15 isso constructed that it must be slightly expanded to fit over the paneledge, the expansion being accommodated by slight flexing of theresilient wall 15. In this fashion, a tight, snap-on fit is assured. Thedesign of the form piece 14 is such that most externally applied forcestend to increase the frictional binding or clamping forces which help tohold it inposition on the panel 12. Together with the adhesively appliedsheet overlay, as described below, the leading edge construction becomesfully secured against angular and translational displacement.

7 The modified design for the form piece 14' shown by:

cove forming piece 28 is an upright back splash panel 40 which can beformed of any suitable material such as plywood or the like.Fastening'means such as nails 44 can be driven through the lower endportion of the back splash panel and into the rear edge of the panel 12through the flange 38. If necessary, the flange 38 of the cove piece canbe apertured, as at 42 to receive the fastening means.

The upper edge of the back splash panel 40 has secured thereto a topedge form piece, different designs of which are illustrated by Figures5A and 5B. Referring first to Figures 2 and 5A, there is shown a topedge form piece 50 including a convexly curved exterior surface 52terminating at its upper end in a horizontal, slightly sharpened flange54 extending rearwardly therefrom which provides a continuation of theconvex exterior surface. At its lower end the piece is formed with aninturned flange or shoulder 56 which rests on the top edge corner of theback panel 40. The piece 50 is completed by a panel flush therewith. Asshown in Figure 2, the back Figure 33 includes a supplemental securingmeans in V V the form of a'central barbed flange 24 adapted to'be driveninto a suitable groove (not shown) which is preferably pre-formed in theleading edge o'f the panel 12.

Parts generally similar to those of Figure 3A are identia cove formingpiece 28. As shown in Figure 4, the

cove piece 28 can include a body portion 38 preferably 7 hollow andhaving a concavely curved exterior surface S'Zandflat under surfaces34and 36 which form feather edges at either extreme of the concavesurface. Extending perpendicularlydownward fr'om'the surface 36isa'flange 38. As shownin Figure 2, the cove piece 28 engages'the rearendportion of the panel '12 with the flange 38 flush with the rear edgethereof and the surface 36 abutting the upper surface thereof so' thatthe adjacent feather edge merges smoothly with the upper I surface of.the panel along a line spaced inwardly from therear edge.. i-.: v

;Secured iin. abutting relation to the surface .34 of the splash topforming piece 50 is secured in position by securing means such as nails59 passing through the flange 57 to enter the panel 40. The convexexterior surface 52 of the form piece forms a continuation of theforward surface of the panel with the horizontal flange 54 extendingbeyond the rearward surface thereof to be received, after the sheetsurfacing material is applied, in a suitable groove scored in the wall Wagainst which the counter assembly abuts. In this fashion, a gap-freejunction results.

As shown by Figure 5B, the top edge form piece 60' can be modified bythe addition of a barbed inner flange 62 depending from a shoulder 64and adapted to be re ceived in a groove 66 formed in the upper edge ofthe back splash panel, a fragment of which is identified by the numeral40'. The form piece 60 also includes a convexly curved wall 70terminating at its lower, forward end in a surface to rest on theforward corner edge of the back splash panel 40' and terminating at itsrearward,

upper end in a horizontal wall engaging flange 72. Extending downwardfrom the underside of the wall 70 is al flange 74, the free end of whichrests on the back corner 1 edge of the back splash panel 40.

It can thus be seen that the assembled panels 12 and 48 or 40 with thethree form pieces 14, 28 andSl] or60 attached thereto provide a smooth,continuous exterior surface which extends from the front edge of thecounter a to the top of the, back splash. As stated, preferably 1 eachof the form pieces is formed with non-polished, i.e.,

satin finish surfaces for purposes now to be described.

intimately bonded with the exterior surfaces of eachof the pieces 14, 28and 50 and the mutuallyperpendicular flat surfaces of the two panels 12and '40 is a'sin'gleii thin, e.g., 5& thick, sheet of water imperviousmaterial.- 76, such as plastic or the like. erably flexible under normalconditions and can take the: 7 form, for example, of a felt bajseproduct coated with a vinyl plastic or it can take the form of a solidplastic". Adhesive is spread uniformly overall of the surfaces. Thesheet material is preferably pressed into position so that voids do notoccur between it and its supporting surfaces. In position, it will 'beunderstood that the; sheet 76 imparts additional strength to the counterasse1i1- bly. Inpartiuclar, the sheet assists in-securing the fronts;edge form piece 14 against translational movement off of The sheetmaterial is pref sheet.

the panel 12 in the direction of the plane of the panel.

be ofthe conventional'snap-on type.

A method and an apparatus'or toolforapplying the Y surfacing sheetmaterial 76 to' the'sub-structureassembly' Y described above aredisclosed in the copending application, Serial No. 571,653, filed March15, 1956. In accordance with the disclosure of that application, thesheet of surfacing material is cut and fitted in a single piece to thecounter surface. Next a suitable adhesive is applied between theexterior counter surface and the underside of the sheet, preferably byapplying the adhesive separately to both surfaces. After the adhesivehas been applied the sheet is brought into registry with thesub-structure and pressed into position, using, for example, the matrixor tool of said copending application to bring the sheet andsub-structure into intimate relationship throughout,

the single sheet thereby bing bonded to the exposed surfaces of theseveral panel and form pieces alike.

Another example of a material which can be utilized in conjunction withthe present invention, is the socalled C-stage plastic materials of thetype comprising laminated sheets, such as, for example, paper wovenfabric and matter or woven glass fibers impregnated with any suitablethermosetting resin such as phenol urea melamine formaldehyde resins andtheir derivates including the group of unsaturated polyester resins,e.g., ethylene glycolmaleate acid, polymer modified with monomericstyrene. Such plastics are commercially available as Formica which isthe trade mark of a product of the Formica Company of Cincinnati, Ohio,Micarta" which is the trade mark of a product of the WestinghouseElectric and Manufacturing Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, orFarlite which is the trade mark of a product of Farley and Loetscher ofDubuque, Iowa.

In general, the C-stage plastic laminates cannot be bent to conform witha counter surface such as presently disclosed without the application ofheat. Accordingly, where such plastics are utilized it is desirable topreform the sheet into the shape of the exterior surface of the counter.After the C-stage plastic sheet has been preformed, suitable adhesivesof the type mentioned above are then applied in the same manner aspreviously indicated. The sheet is then engaged to the counter surfaceand the matrix applied and clamped in the manner indicated before.

Referring now to Figures 6 and 7, an alternative fabricating techniqueand a modified cove forming piece are illustrated. A back splash panel88 can, as a preliminary step in the fabrication of the counter, firstbe disposed in the plane of the horizontal panel 90 and spaced edgewisetherefrom for a predetermined distance to receive a flat, unbent sheet92 of surfacing material, adhesive being applied between the opposedsurfaces. After the adhesive has set, the back splash panel 88 is swunginto a plane normal to that of the panel 90 by flexing the bridgingstrip of the sheet material into a generally rounded curvature to definethe cove. Next, a reinforced form piece 94 is inserted behind the sheetmaterial at the cove and is secured to both the horizontal and verticalpanels. The form piece 94 includes a concavely rounded center wall 96terminating at its respective ends in reinforced mutually perpendicularshoulders 98 and 100 which abut the edges of the panels 88 and 90,respectively. Marginal flanges 102 and 104 can be formed at the ends ofthe shoulders 98 and 100 respectively to overlie the panels 88 and 90and to set the position of the form piece 94 so its curved surface 96precisely backs up the sheet material 92 at the cove. A barbed flange106 can be formed on the shoulder 100 to be driven into a suitablechannel or groove 108 formed in the horizontal panel 90, after whichsuitable securing means 110 such as nails, screws, or the like, can bedriven into the edge or side, as the case may be, of the back panel 88.It will be seen, therefore, that the form piece 94 serves as both a covedefining member and as a structural link between the two panels.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a counter which may beeasily constructed without the need of expensive tools or machines. Ofparticular significance is the fact that the counter presents a smooth,continuous, water impervious surface, thereby eliminating the need forexposed moulding strips. As noted above, the use of such exposedmoulding strips presents the disadvantage of dirt collection and leakageso that wi h the counter of the present invention, these disad--vantages are effectively overcome. It should also be: noted that therearwardly extending horizontal flange 54- of the back splash form pieceprovides an effective means. whereby the counter may be installedagainst a wall so as to insure a leakproof fit. It is well known thatmost walls are not precisely fiat and include undulations, dips and thelike. Heretofore, it has been found necessary to either shape the backsplash panel of the counter to the wall or provide caulking between thespace between the wall and the back splash panel, which procedures haveobvious disadvantages. With the present invention, the counter isinitially placed against the wall so that the end of the flange 54engages the same. The wall is then scored or grooved along the flangeand this scoring is repeated until a horizontal groove is formed in thewall which is suitable to receive the flange with the rear surface ofthe back splash panel abutting the wall. In this manner, there isprovided a horizontal surface which intersects the wall, the horizontalsurface being impervious to water and shaped to direct the waterdownwardly away from the wall.

It will be appreciated that various modifications can be made in theinvention as described above without in any way deviating from the scopethereof as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a counter construction, a horizontal panel, a back splash panelextending upwardly from the rear end thereof, the rear end of saidhorizontal panel and the lower end of said back splash panel includingclosely spaced parallel surfaces, a form piece to define a cove securedbetween said panels, said piece having a straight, fiat flange extendingwithin the space between said parallel surfaces and presenting a concaveexterior surface which merges smoothly with the forward surface of saidback splash panel along a line spaced upwardly from its lower end andwith the upper surface of said horizontal panel along a line spacedforwardly from its rear end, and a thin sheet of material intimatelybonded to the upper surface of said horizontal panel, the exteriorsurface of said form piece, and the forward surface of said back splashpanel. 1

2. A counter construction according to claim 1, said horizontal and backsplash panels being joined at their said closely spaced parallelsurfaces by securing means passing through one panel, through saidflange of the form piece and into the other panel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,038,638 Bray Apr. 28, 1936 2,134,999 Crouch Nov. 1, 1938 2,532,769Houpt Dec. 5, 1950 2,570,850 Pearson Oct. 9, 1951 2,582,816 Bonnell Jan.15, 1952 2,626,846 Morris Jan. 27, 1953 2,635,308 Crook Apr. 21, 19532,646,326 Stanitz July 21, 1953 2,648,370 Beach Aug. 11, 1953 2,721,333Stanitz Oct. 25, 1955 2,821,754 I-Iillson Feb. 4, 1958

